Come What May
By LumiKuningatar
The 'Sunlight' cafe sat at the corner of Siun Boulevard and Corusca street. The little café overlooked the busy plaza and its buzzling colorful people. There were aliens of all sizes and colors and every single one was unique in its own way. The suns rays bounced off the morning stalls and the morning mist made the whole place look magical. The people didn't seem to notice the importance of the morning's beauty. They went about their business with no regard for the other people. Pushing their way through crowds and shouting merchants.
A woman overlooked all this with seeming indifference. She sat at one of these historic cafes. In her hand she held a small cup of fresh coffee. The aroma of the coffee was inviting and she sipped a mouthful. She couldn't understand why all the people were so busy that they'd lost all sight of what truly was important.
Her raven black hair cascaded down her back, flowing freely without boundaries or restrictions. Her green eyes, mysterious and sad, held wisdom in them. Wisdom gained from experience and mistakes. Her whole appearance told that she had seen it all and wished no-more. Her lithe form sat at the secluded area of the café, away from the spouses, away from happy families with younglings, away from all the happiness that so plainly surrounded her. She held her head cocked to one side, the way people do when expecting or listening to something dear to them.
She heard a noise behind her and turned around only too see a middle aged man approach. His black hair showed a little tint of grey probably from having to deal with petty bureaucrats for the last couple of years. Even if his hair showed his true age, his gaze and gaunt were as youthful as ever. He gazed at her thoughtfully and she could feel herself begin to blush. She didn't want to be scrutinized and to avoid the embarrassing situation she straightened up and greeted him with a welcoming smile. He walked the last couple of steps to her table and sat down.
"Well, hello Miss D'ukal. I trust all is well. I haven't seen you since we dropped the Caamas document off and I was beginning to wonder whether I'd see you before we left Coruscant altogether."
He smiled at her, trying to gauze her reaction. She hesitated
"Everything's fine Karrde, just fine. I've talked to the elders and they're willing to let me come back and work as a Mistryl shadow guard again."
Karrde looked at her with a little apprehension. She saw and hesitated again.
"I've just... I .. I'm not sure if that's what I really want. Now that I know that they believe in a lost cause and an unjust one, I don't feel as though I'm.. real when I work for them"
She looked at Karrde as if trying to make him understand just by her gaze alone. Karrde nodded.
"I know what you mean. I felt the same when I took over Jorj Car'das. I didn't feel as if I truly deserved to be there and that if I left nobody would really miss me. "
Shada looked at him surprised. This was more information about his past than what Karrde had ever revealed. The thought of Karrde telling him this made her heart beat a little faster. Oblivious to Shada's thoughts Karrde continued without a pause
"I have an interesting business proposition for you."
"A business proposition? For me? Why?"
"I have a job opening and I do believe you're perfect... for the job, I mean"
Shada didn't notice Karrde's slip. She was too absorbed in what he'd told her.
"What job opening? I thought you had all the slots filled and anyway you'd be looking for people who actually believed in your causes."
She asked seriously.
"Well, actually Mara's leaving the organization and..."
"Mara! Why in blazes? She's..."
"She's getting married to Luke Skywalker."
"The Jedi?"
"Yes. The Jedi. She has decided to concentrate on her Jedi training. She has a lot of potential."
Karrde replied with a lot of smugness and fatherly pride.
Shada regarded him levelly.
"Won't she be coming back? I mean after saving the galaxy a couple of times and babysitting for a group of stuffy bureaucrocats it can get aggravating after a while. Will I be out of a job then or is this one for keeps?"
"Oh, it's permanent. As long as you do your job well you're part of the organization."
"Second-in-command?"
"Yes"
"I thought Aves'd get the job. He's more qualified than I am. He's been aboard the ship for years now and has had a lot of experience commanding the ship during your absences. Surely he'd be the perfect candidate"
She tested his reaction. Karrde glanced at her and quickly looked away. The corner of his mouth quirked a little.
"Aves is qualified, true. But he's not ready to command a ship with me onboard. He's unsure when making decisions that could override my command on the Karrde . You obviously don't have that problem. I still am seriously considering on giving him a ship to command but just not yet. Clearly, you see where I'm standing on this. So, are you going to take the job or not?"
Shada looked at him shocked. "But.."
Karrde placed his fingers on her lips. "Hush... I know this and I know that I need somebody reliant and capable to fill her place. And..." Karrde looked at her hopefully "I want you to be that person" Karrde waited nervously for her decision. He felt more nervous that a mere employer asking an employee to work for him should be.
"And is this just because you fell sorry for poor unemployed me?" Shada asked teasingly. Karrde looked shocked. "Oh of course not" He sputtered.
"I mean you are an excellent fighter.."
"I should be I worked as a bodyguard..."
"And your diplomatic skills are good, they still need a bit refining though. I don't believe smashing a diplomats head into the wall in order to get a peace treaty signed is a good political maneuver...."
"He was asking for it..."
"And I....the crew really needs someone like you. To keep order If nothing more."
"Oh in that case I'd be delighted to join your crew."
Karrde felt a rush of emotion. This was definitely not what an employer should feel for his employee. Definitely not. He would just have to treat carefully in order not to break his one rule: not to get involved with crew members. Even if Shada was nothing like Giana. She definitely was nothing like Giana. She was talented, had a sense of humour, witty, a friend, gorgeous....Where did that come from. True she had the blackest hair and greenest eyes he had ever seen. You could drown in them and get lost forever.
Just stick to the rule Karrde, just stick to the rule. That way you won't get hurt again. Just stick to the rule.
By LumiKuningatar
The 'Sunlight' cafe sat at the corner of Siun Boulevard and Corusca street. The little café overlooked the busy plaza and its buzzling colorful people. There were aliens of all sizes and colors and every single one was unique in its own way. The suns rays bounced off the morning stalls and the morning mist made the whole place look magical. The people didn't seem to notice the importance of the morning's beauty. They went about their business with no regard for the other people. Pushing their way through crowds and shouting merchants.
A woman overlooked all this with seeming indifference. She sat at one of these historic cafes. In her hand she held a small cup of fresh coffee. The aroma of the coffee was inviting and she sipped a mouthful. She couldn't understand why all the people were so busy that they'd lost all sight of what truly was important.
Her raven black hair cascaded down her back, flowing freely without boundaries or restrictions. Her green eyes, mysterious and sad, held wisdom in them. Wisdom gained from experience and mistakes. Her whole appearance told that she had seen it all and wished no-more. Her lithe form sat at the secluded area of the café, away from the spouses, away from happy families with younglings, away from all the happiness that so plainly surrounded her. She held her head cocked to one side, the way people do when expecting or listening to something dear to them.
She heard a noise behind her and turned around only too see a middle aged man approach. His black hair showed a little tint of grey probably from having to deal with petty bureaucrats for the last couple of years. Even if his hair showed his true age, his gaze and gaunt were as youthful as ever. He gazed at her thoughtfully and she could feel herself begin to blush. She didn't want to be scrutinized and to avoid the embarrassing situation she straightened up and greeted him with a welcoming smile. He walked the last couple of steps to her table and sat down.
"Well, hello Miss D'ukal. I trust all is well. I haven't seen you since we dropped the Caamas document off and I was beginning to wonder whether I'd see you before we left Coruscant altogether."
He smiled at her, trying to gauze her reaction. She hesitated
"Everything's fine Karrde, just fine. I've talked to the elders and they're willing to let me come back and work as a Mistryl shadow guard again."
Karrde looked at her with a little apprehension. She saw and hesitated again.
"I've just... I .. I'm not sure if that's what I really want. Now that I know that they believe in a lost cause and an unjust one, I don't feel as though I'm.. real when I work for them"
She looked at Karrde as if trying to make him understand just by her gaze alone. Karrde nodded.
"I know what you mean. I felt the same when I took over Jorj Car'das. I didn't feel as if I truly deserved to be there and that if I left nobody would really miss me. "
Shada looked at him surprised. This was more information about his past than what Karrde had ever revealed. The thought of Karrde telling him this made her heart beat a little faster. Oblivious to Shada's thoughts Karrde continued without a pause
"I have an interesting business proposition for you."
"A business proposition? For me? Why?"
"I have a job opening and I do believe you're perfect... for the job, I mean"
Shada didn't notice Karrde's slip. She was too absorbed in what he'd told her.
"What job opening? I thought you had all the slots filled and anyway you'd be looking for people who actually believed in your causes."
She asked seriously.
"Well, actually Mara's leaving the organization and..."
"Mara! Why in blazes? She's..."
"She's getting married to Luke Skywalker."
"The Jedi?"
"Yes. The Jedi. She has decided to concentrate on her Jedi training. She has a lot of potential."
Karrde replied with a lot of smugness and fatherly pride.
Shada regarded him levelly.
"Won't she be coming back? I mean after saving the galaxy a couple of times and babysitting for a group of stuffy bureaucrocats it can get aggravating after a while. Will I be out of a job then or is this one for keeps?"
"Oh, it's permanent. As long as you do your job well you're part of the organization."
"Second-in-command?"
"Yes"
"I thought Aves'd get the job. He's more qualified than I am. He's been aboard the ship for years now and has had a lot of experience commanding the ship during your absences. Surely he'd be the perfect candidate"
She tested his reaction. Karrde glanced at her and quickly looked away. The corner of his mouth quirked a little.
"Aves is qualified, true. But he's not ready to command a ship with me onboard. He's unsure when making decisions that could override my command on the Karrde . You obviously don't have that problem. I still am seriously considering on giving him a ship to command but just not yet. Clearly, you see where I'm standing on this. So, are you going to take the job or not?"
Shada looked at him shocked. "But.."
Karrde placed his fingers on her lips. "Hush... I know this and I know that I need somebody reliant and capable to fill her place. And..." Karrde looked at her hopefully "I want you to be that person" Karrde waited nervously for her decision. He felt more nervous that a mere employer asking an employee to work for him should be.
"And is this just because you fell sorry for poor unemployed me?" Shada asked teasingly. Karrde looked shocked. "Oh of course not" He sputtered.
"I mean you are an excellent fighter.."
"I should be I worked as a bodyguard..."
"And your diplomatic skills are good, they still need a bit refining though. I don't believe smashing a diplomats head into the wall in order to get a peace treaty signed is a good political maneuver...."
"He was asking for it..."
"And I....the crew really needs someone like you. To keep order If nothing more."
"Oh in that case I'd be delighted to join your crew."
Karrde felt a rush of emotion. This was definitely not what an employer should feel for his employee. Definitely not. He would just have to treat carefully in order not to break his one rule: not to get involved with crew members. Even if Shada was nothing like Giana. She definitely was nothing like Giana. She was talented, had a sense of humour, witty, a friend, gorgeous....Where did that come from. True she had the blackest hair and greenest eyes he had ever seen. You could drown in them and get lost forever.
Just stick to the rule Karrde, just stick to the rule. That way you won't get hurt again. Just stick to the rule.